Reusable pouring spout system and method of improving the pouring and storage of particulate material housed in bulk packaging

Abstract

A removable dispensing system for improving the extraction of pourable material from bulk packaging. The system includes a spout having an end with a flanged base and an end with a closure mechanism. The spout is connected to the bulk packaging with a two-sided adhesive element or coupler. The coupler attaches to the packaging and to the flanged base of the spout. The spout may be removed by hand and attached to a different package.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A reusable dispensing system, comprising:
 a reusable spout having an end configured for attaching to a first container, the end including a flanged base; 
 a solid coupler having a flanged base facing surface and a container facing surface, the coupler further having an opening that extends between the flanged base facing surface and the container facing surface, the coupler including a first adhesive on the flanged base facing surface and a second adhesive on the container facing surface, the first adhesive being configured to attach to the flanged base and the second adhesive being configured for attachment to the container; and 
 a cap configured to seal an end of the reusable spout, 
 wherein the first adhesive is configured so that the reusable spout is removable from the first container by a hand of a user and thereafter attached to a second container. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is a polymeric ring having an outer perimeter that is sized to not exceed an outer perimeter of the flanged base when the coupler is attached to the flanged base. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2  wherein the cross-section of the spout is circular. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cap is a threaded cap and the spout has threads configured to mate with the threaded cap. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler includes a two-sided adhesive tape. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler includes a polymeric band having adhesive on opposing sides. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler includes an adhesive putty. 
     
     
       8. A method for using a reusable dispensing system with a bulk packaging container having a number of walls defining a sealed cavity containing contents, the system including a reusable spout and a coupler separate from the spout and having a first adhesive side and an opposite, second adhesive side, the method comprising:
 attaching the first adhesive side of the coupler to any location along a continuous surface of a first wall of the number of walls of the bulk packaging container; 
 attaching the second adhesive side of the coupler to a base of the spout, the second adhesive side being configured so that the spout is removable from the bulk packaging container by a hand of a user; 
 creating a hole in the first wall of the bulk packaging container after the coupler is attached to the continuous surface of the bulk packaging container, wherein the hole is arranged to provide communication between an outlet of the spout and the sealed cavity of the bulk packaging container to allow for the contents to exit the bulk packaging container through the hole and the outlet of the spout. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the hole in the bulk packaging container is created after the attachment of the spout. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the spout is used as a guide to create the hole with a sharp edged object that is discrete from the spout and the coupler. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second adhesive side of the coupler is attached to the bulk packaging container before the first side of the coupler is attached the spout. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hole in the bulk packaging container is created with a sharp edged object that is discrete from the spout and the coupler after the coupler is attached to the bulk packaging container, and before the spout is attached to the coupler. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the hole is created by cutting the hole in the bulk packaging container with the sharp edged object using a hole in the coupler as a guide. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 removing the spout from the coupler that connects the spout to the bulk packaging container. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bulk packaging container is a bag. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the contents of the bulk packaging container includes dry goods. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the hole in the bulk packaging container is created with a knife that is discrete from the spout and the coupler. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 removing the spout from the bulk packaging container by the hand of the user; 
 obtaining a second coupler having a first adhesive side and an opposite, second adhesive side; and 
 attaching the spout via the second coupler to a second bulk packaging container containing contents. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein said removing the spout from the bulk packaging container includes
 removing the spout from the bulk packaging container by the hand of the user after the bulk packaging container has been emptied. 
 
     
     
       20. A method for using a reusable dispensing system with a plurality of bulk packaging containers, the system including a spout and a coupler separate from the spout and having first and second opposite sides having first and second adhesives disposed thereon, respectively, the method comprising:
 obtaining a first bulk packaging container having a number of continuous walls defining a sealed cavity containing dry particulate product; 
 attaching the first side of the coupler via the first adhesive to along a first continuous wall of the number of continuous walls; 
 attaching the second side of the coupler via the second adhesive to a base of the spout, the second adhesive being configured so that the spout may be removed from the bulk packaging container by a hand of a user; 
 creating a hole in the first continuous wall after the coupler is attached to the first continuous wall of the bulk packaging container; 
 and after the dry particulate product has been depleted, 
 removing the spout from the bulk packaging container by the hand of the user; 
 obtaining a second coupler with first and second opposite sides having first and second adhesives disposed thereon; and 
 attaching the spout via the second coupler to a second bulk packaging container defining a sealed cavity containing dry particulate product.